Rodent capturing device



Dec. 6, 1960 s. 'r. HUGHES RODENT CAPTURING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1959 I N V EN TOR. SAMl/EA THUG/7E8 United States Patent RODENT CAPTURING DEVICE Samuel T. Hughes, Rte. 3, Cullman, Ala., assignor of onehalf to Claude L. Hanks, Cullman, Ala.

Filed Feb. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 795,468 4 Claims. (or. 43-58) This invention relates to improvements in capturing devices for mice, rats and other rodents or large insects.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a capturing device, which employs no jaws or other elements that might prove dangerous and unsafe for the person handling the same and which employs no form of poison but simply restrains the creature until it is wrapped up in the sheet upon which it is restrained and disposed of.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a capturing device of the character stated which includes a pad of adhesive sheets, which can be peeled off one at a time as the rodent is captured and adhered thereto, with the sheet being used as a medium for wrapping the creature preparatory to its disposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rodent capturing assembly employing a pad of adhesive sheets upon which rodents can be caught by adhesion, with the pads so formed that a hood can be placed over the pad and set in a precise position without additional detent means, other than the formation of the pad.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a rodent capturing device which may be used time after time, but with little effort on the part of the attendant.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a rodent capturing device which includes a pad of adhesive sheets, which can be bought independently of the hood employed, thus permitting the purchaser to buy a single hood and the pads separately as the need calls for.

These and various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire assembly, with a portion of the hood broken away to show the installation of the pad and its particular relationship to the hood.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pad showing the end tabs and the stiff foundation sheet, as well as the wire pin for holding the pad in place on a floor.

Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the hood after it has been raised from the pad.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, with the hood removed and showing a sheet about to be stripped from the pad and wrapped over the restrained mouse.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the pad, showing not only the foundation sheet, but also a cover sheet, which has no adhesive on its top and which is placed there to protect purchasers against contact with the adhesive on the top sheet of the pad.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals desig' nate like parts, it can be seen that the invention is made up principally of a pad structure generally referred to by numeral and a hood structure 11.

The pad 10 is composed of a foundation sheet 12 of substantially heavy paper or cardboard and upon this is placed a stack of adhesive covered sheets 13, each sheet being provided at its ends with longitudinally extending tabs 14, 15, and as is clearly shown in the drawings these tabs are supported by like extensions 16 of the foundation sheet 12, and since the tabs 14, 15 are continuations of the sheets 13, the tabs 14 and 15 are stacked in similar manner to the stacking of the sheets 13.

The top side of the foundation sheet 12 is provided with an adhesive area, to hold the next overlying adhesive sheet in place and each sheet in turn is likewise coated on its top side, excepting for the tabs 14, 15.

When the pad is for sale in stores, it will have a cover sheet 17 adhered to the top of the uppermost adhesive sheet, but this cover sheet 17 will have no adhesive on the top thereof. This will protect purchasers against the inherent adhesiveness of the pad.

Viewing Figure 2, let it be assumed that the pad is placed upon a floor A, a small gauge wire nail 18 can be driven through the tabs 14 at each end of the pad. In fact, the nail can be driven through all of the tabs if desired, because the head of the nail is to be so small that it will require no effort to dislodge the tab from the same when it is desired to pull off a sheet, in wrapping a captured mouse.

A very important factor here is that the tabs, which are not coated with adhesive, along with the extension 16 of the foundation sheet 12 form a fixational structure for holding the hood 11 in a definite position, with respect to the pad, without any auxiliary detent means. This can be clearly observed in Figure 1. The hood nestles down over the pad, and even with only one adhesive sheet left upon the heavy foundation sheet 12, the hood will still be unable to move laterally or longitudinally, without some lifting force to displace it from this nested position.

Now taking into consideration the hood 11, it will be observed that the hood is of rectangular shape having a top wall 19, side walls 20 and end walls 21. The end walls 2 1 have openings 22 therein, through which mice or other rodents can crawl, in order to enter the hood, of course being attracted to this position by the presence of bait 23 on a suitable hanger 24, located under the top wall 19 of the hood.

Figures 1 and 3 show that the end walls 21, of the hood 11, adjacent each corner thereof, is formed with a rectangular shaped cut-out 25, opening through the lower edge of the hood 11, the hood being bottomless, as is apparent in both Figures 1 and 3.

Openings 25 are spaced to receive the adjacent tabs of the pad 10, with the intervening portion of the corre sponding end wall 21 serving as a tongue 26 (see Figures 1 and 3) to enter the space between the opposed tab packs and the corresponding formations of the foundation sheet 12.

Thus it will be seen, that while it is not possible to shift the hood 11 on a horizontal plane, in any direction, the hood may be lifted, without resort to any releasing means, to the position shown in Figure 3 and set aside, thus baring the fixed adhesive pad 10, in order that access may be had to the captured creature, be it a mouse, rat or other rodent.

As can be seen in Figure 4, after the displacement of the hood 11, it is only necessary to grasp the free and uncoated tab, at any corner of the pad, lift the same and peel it from the underlying sheet, in a motion to carry the same over the mouse, further adhering the mouse in place as the sheet being peeled is wrapped and rolled to a convenient form and entirely removed from the pad for proper disposal.

Now it can be seen that the fresh adhesive surface is exposed and with the small wire nails 18 holding the pad in a definite position, the hood is slipped downwardly over the pad and will definitely remain in that position until it is again desired to inspect the interior of the structure and perhape remove another rodent.

It will be observed that this assembly can be placed almost anywherein a-house, store or'oither building: and withoutanydamage to the floor or other supporting structure, the small gauge and small headed nails 18 can be driven: in place, to not only holdthe adhesive pad in place but also the'hood definitely in fixed position with respect to the pad, without any detention elements or fixtures of any'kind.

In the closing of: this: description ofthe invention, it might be borne in mind: that this assembly would be quite a good item for manufacturerswho like to place a basic structure on the market: and then. have repeat orders for refills,,part replacements; etc. In the instance of the present invention, the manufacturer would sell the entire assembly as shown in Figure l. The purchaser would thereafter be required topurchase only the pad as shown in Figures 2 and 5. As a matter of fact, he might purchase one entire assembly as shown in Figure 1 and one or more extra pads and keep them handy. This would be desirable around many old buildings, especially in the basements of old apartment houses, office buildings, and other structures that are frequented by small rodents and of course large insects.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in. specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes inthe shape, size and materials may be resorted to without. departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described theinvention-what is claimed as new 1. In combination, a pad made up of a plurality of stacked sheets having'adhesive coatings, each of the sheets being formed with adhesiveclear stacked tabs, a hood for said pad having an entrance opening for creatures to be captured and being open at its bottom, the lower 4 edge portions of the hood being formed with cutouts to 4v receive the stacked tabs of the sheets, thus to prevent horizontal shifting of the hood with respect to the pad.

2. In combination, a pad. made up of a plurality of stacked sheets having adhesive coatings, each of the sheets being formed with adhesive clear stacked tabs, a hood for said pad having an entrance opening for creatures to be captured and being open at its bottom, the lower edge portions of the hood being for'med with cutouts to receive the stacked: tabsof the sheets,-thus to prevent horizontal shifting of the hood with respect to the pad, and bait carrying means situated within the hood.

3. In combination; a: pad made-up of a plurality of stacked sheets having adhesive coatings, eachof the sheets being formed with adhesive clear stacked tabs, a hood for said pad having an entrance opening for creatures to be captured and being open at its bottom, the lower edge portions of the hood being formed with cutouts to receive the stacked tabs of the sheets, thus to prevent horizontal shifting of the hood" with respect to the-pad, and means for securing certainof the stacks of tabs to a floor or other surface.

4. In. combination, a pad made up of a plurality of stacked sheets having adhesive coatings, eachof the sheets being formed with adhesive clear stacked tabs, a

the pads, and means for securing certain of the stacks of" tabs to a floor or other surface, said meansfor securing the tabs in place consisting of a-fine gauge nail having a small head over which tabs in sequence can be easily pulled in the act of peeling a sheet fromthe" pad.

References Cited in the file-ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 170,505 Barthel Nov. 30, 1873 800,354 Boyd Sept. 26, 1905' 906,867 Forker Dec. 15,. 1908 

